Indiana: Should Streaming Services Pay Franchise Fees

Judges are weighing whether streaming services like Netflix and Hulu should pay franchise fees like cable companies.

Fishers, Indianapolis, Evansville, and Valparaiso argue that streaming platforms use public rights-of-way to deliver content and should pay cities up to 5% of local revenue.

In 2023, lawmakers changed state law to exclude internet-based services from those fees — and backdated the change to 2006.

The cities say that move was unconstitutional and designed to kill their lawsuit.

Judges haven’t said when they’ll rule.